Hurricane Helene Leaves Tampa and St. Pete Assessing Damage

The Tampa Bay region faced historic flooding due to Hurricane Helene, with stormwater surging into neighborhoods and businesses late Thursday. The storm passed more than 100 miles off the coast but still caused severe damage. In St. Petersburg, city officials took emergency action, shutting down the Northeast sewer treatment plant to protect it from the unprecedented storm surge.

St. Petersburg Treatment Plant Shutdown

The shutdown of the Northeast sewer treatment plant in St. Petersburg is expected to last at least 48 hours. Residents and businesses in areas north of 30th Avenue North and east of Interstate 275 cannot flush toilets, use bathtubs, or do laundry until the plant is back online. Tampa officials have also asked residents to limit water usage, as two of the city’s wastewater plants were down due to flooding.

Upgrading the Treatment Facilities

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch announced that the city has already allocated $70 million to upgrade the treatment facility that went offline. Once complete, the plant will be capable of handling up to 11 feet of storm surge. Construction began last year and is expected to finish in 2026. Built in the 1950s, the plant was known to be vulnerable to a storm of this magnitude, Welch said.

“I’ve asked our team to find all available options to expedite that construction schedule,” Welch added.

Severe Flooding in Low-Lying Areas

Low-lying neighborhoods, including Snell Isle, Venetian Isles, and Shore Acres, experienced some of the worst flooding in St. Pete. Mayor Welch described the flooding as “unprecedented.” In Tampa, Mayor Jane Castor surveyed damage to Davis Islands and other waterfront neighborhoods from a Tampa Police Department helicopter.

“The National Guard has been activated to help with rescue efforts,” Castor shared in a Facebook post on Friday.

Reopening Bridges and Roads

Bridges connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg were slowly reopening by midday Friday. The northbound side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, linking Pinellas County to Manatee County, reopened around noon. Meanwhile, the southbound side of the Howard Frankland Bridge is now open, though the northbound side remains closed. The westbound lanes of the Gandy Bridge were also open by noon.

Casualties and Storm Surge Impact

Five people died in Pinellas County due to the hurricane—two in Treasure Island, two in Indian Rocks Beach, and one in Dunedin. The hurricane’s first casualty occurred in Tampa, where a person was killed when a sign fell on their car on Interstate 4. Storm surge levels broke records across Pinellas on Thursday, reaching up to 8 feet in some areas.

Extensive Damage Across Pinellas County

The damage assessment on Friday morning was still incomplete, but Pinellas County reported 140 downed traffic signals and 132 closed pump stations. The Safety Harbor pier was destroyed. “Last night, Hurricane Helene brought life-changing impacts to Pinellas County,” said Pinellas County Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins.

Access to the Pinellas barrier islands was restricted as of noon Friday, with Sheriff Bob Gualtieri empathizing with residents and business owners eager to assess the damage but stressing that conditions remain unsafe.

Impact on Businesses

Gulf Boulevard has never experienced damage like this before, according to Sheriff Gualtieri. TradeWinds Island Resort in St. Pete Beach announced that it is closed indefinitely. “We continue to ask for your patience and understanding as our hardworking people are out there, in the streets, in the roads — doing the work they need to do to bring us back to safety. The work is very extensive,” said Pinellas County spokesperson Barbra Hernandez.

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